10 Things Other Shows Can Learn From the Disappointing Final Season Of "Dexter"

The sheer awfulness of Dexter's final season is universally agreed upon at this point. At press time, the final episode has yet to air, but who are we kidding? It's not going to be a magically redeeming finale that validates the boredom we've suffered through during season eight, that alleviates the embarrassing, almost squirm-inducing sloppiness that's been on display since mid-summer.

The series has always been far from perfect, but mid-way through this final year it became apparent that Dexter's writers had totally dropped the ball, exposing a gross misunderstanding of audience expectations, thematic resonance, and well, the nature of good storytelling. While Breaking Bad is putting on a clinic of how to pull off a near-perfect final season, Dexter is fast becoming a cautionary tale for what not to do. To all current and future showrunners, we're making Dexter's last season worthwhile the only way we know how to: as a learning experience. Here's what not to do. Read on for 10 Things Other Shows Can Learn From The Disappointing Final Season of Dexter.